Sliding sash closer

ABSTRACT

A sash closer arm for a sliding door or sliding window is mounted to a pivot high on the frame or high on one sash. The extensible arm is adjusted in length to suit the particular sash and carries a roller on an offset end remote from the pivot. A spring extending from an anchorage above the roller is connected by a cable thru a slot in the arm to an abutment and anchorage which extends below the underside of the arm and is movable along the arm. A hook is provided to lock the roller in its upper-most position to lock both sash. A spring loaded stop predetermines the lowest position of the roller, brings it to a stop gently, and assists in beginning a closing movement.

United States Patent 11 1 Mills SLIDING SASII CLOSER [76] Inventor: Roy Mills, 1128 Karla Dr., Hurst,

Tex. 76053 [22] Filed: Oct. 15, 1973 [21] Appl. N0.: 406,523

[52] US. Cl 16/72; 16/200 [51] Int. Cl E05f 1/08 [58] Field of Search 16/49, 65, 71, 72, 80, 16/76, 85, 200; 49/386, 404, 445; 292/262 156] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,414,523 5/1922 Nicholson 16/200 1,489,548 4/1924 Roberts et a1. 16/200 1,494,769 5/1924 Clas 16/200 1,805,217 5/1931 Lawrence 61 a1. 16/200 2,045,195 6/1936 Mays 16/200 X 3,038,569 6/1962 Knox 292/262 3,732,594 5/1973 Mills 16/72 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATlONS June 10, 1975 Primary Examiner-Roy D. Frazier Assistant Examiner-Peter A. Aschenbrenner Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Wheeler, Morsell, House & Fuller [5 7 ABSTRACT A sash closer arm for a sliding door or sliding window is mounted to a pivot high on the frame or high on one sash. The extensible arm is adjusted in length to suit the particular sash and carries a roller on an offset end remote from the pivot. A spring extending from an anchorage above the roller is connected by a cable thru a slot in the arm to an abutment and anchorage which extends below the underside of the arm and is movable along the arm. A hook is provided to lock the roller in its upper-most position to lock both sash. A spring loaded stop predetermines the lowest position of the roller, brings it to a stop gently, and assists in beginning a closing movement.

9 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures 1 sumuo SASH CLOSER BACKGROUND OF INVENTION The best prior known device of this character is the device of my US. Pat. No. 3,732,594.

The present device is mechanically simpler and is designed for top mounting, making it less obtrusive. In addition, the preloading and adjustment of preloading are a major advance. Moreover the locking mechanism is exceedingly simple, effective, and inconspicuous.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The most important novel feature of my invention is the application of the spring tension to a movable abutment positioned near the center of the roller arm and extending on the other side of the arm from the spring anchorage. As will be described, this leads not only to a better application of force to the roller arm, but greatly simplifies the required structure. Furthermore, the device is desirably applied to the upper portion of the sashes, where it is less of an intrusion into the view through the sash and less likely to be seen by a burglar seeking admission. Even if seen by a burglar the construction of the device makes it difficult to defeat the lock, as well as inconspicuous. Simple and effective mechanisms are provided for anchoring and adjusting the spring stop mechanism at the end of the travel of the device so that the sash is only opened as far as is desirable.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a partially closed sliding door showing the device of my invention mounted thereon.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view similar to FIG. 1 showing the door in full lines in its locked position and in dashed lines in a partially opened position.

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken vertically through the door mounted channel shown at the center of FIG. I and looking in the same direction as FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, but greatly enlarged and with a portion of the height of the channel omitted.

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view on line 4 4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view on line 5 5 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view on line 6 6 of FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION Although the disclosure hereof is detailed and exact to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, the physical emobdiments herein disclosed merely exemplify the invention which may be embodied in other specific structure. While the best known embodiment has been described, the details may be changed without departing from the invention, which is defined by the claims.

The drawings show my device applied to a two sash sliding door comprising sash 10 and sash 12, although it could as readily be applied to a single movable sash or to an opening having a greater number of sashes. The word sash is used generally to describe a sliding part such as a door or a window and does not require that the glass or other panel have any particular style of frame, or any frame at all. As shown, sash l0 and sash 12 are enclosed in a door-frame 14 set in wall l6.

My closer consists of a roller arm 20 comprising telescopically related channels 22 and 24 secured together by any conventional fastening which permits the length of the overall roller arm 20 to be adjusted, such as screws which are threaded into one member and which operate in slots in the other member. Because of the extensible roller arm 20, and other features which will be discussed later, a single size of closer may be adapted to a range of sized of sliding doors or the like.

Roller arm 20 terminates at one end in a mounting bracket 26 connected by a pivot 28 to roller arm 20. Bracket 26 may be mounted on the fixed frame 14 or on sash 12 in any conventional way. Bracket 26 is desirably very close to the top of the frame or sash. It is preferable to mount bracket 26 in the plane of movement of sash 10 so that all parts of my closer are substantially in the plane of the edge of the sash along which roller 30 moves. Such mounting in the plane of the sash is both mechanically and esthetically preferable although it is not a necessary condition for operation.

Roller arm 20 carries a roller 30 which is free to turn with regard to arm 20 and is preferably mounted on a roller bearing 32 on spindle 34 fixedly secured in arm portion 23. Roller 30 is mounted on a portion 23 of arm 22 which is angled to place roller 30 farther from frame 14. This construction makes it impossible for arm 20 to reach a position in which force from the opening of sash 10 passes through the centers of roller 30 and pivot 28. That dead center position would make the sash 10 impossible to open. When it is desired to lock the sash aganist opening, hook 36 is swung from the dotted line position of FIG. 3 to the full line position of FIG. 3 to embrace axle 34. Since in that position hook 36 is substantially completely within the channel 40 in which roller 30 moves, it becomes exceedingly difficult for a burglar to dislodge it even if he is able to insert a tool between the sashes.

As shown in the successive positions in the full line position of FIG. 2, FIG. 1, and the dotted line position in FIG. 2, as sash 10 is moved to the right relative to frame 14 roller 30 is forced downwardly with arm 20 about pivot 28. A channel 40 is secured to the vertical edge of sash l0. Roller 30 rolls on the bottom web 42 of channel 40. The ends of axle 34 are guided by the sides 44 of channel 40 and may desirably be fitted with nylon or other anti-friction glides to minimize resistance and to fill the entire channel 40 to eliminate play.

The glides actually bear on ribs 46 which extend the length of channel 40. Ridge 46 is best shown in FIGS. 4 and 6. It serves to retain various elements within the channel 40 while permitting them to move longitudinally of the channel.

Spring anchor 48 retains one end of spring 50 and has a base 52 which fills the space between ridge 46 and base web 42 of channel 40. It is desirably retained therein by a fastening which permits limited longitudinal movement in the channel, such as screw 54 operating in a slot 56 in base member 52.

The other end of spring 50 is connected, desirably by a cable 58, to abutment 60. Abutment 60 includes a ramp 62 over which cable 58 extends and is fastened at 54. Ramp 62 may desirably be integral with a channel 66 of the same dimensions as channel 24, which is a sliding fit on channel 22. Channel 22 is slotted at 68 (as best shown in FIG. 5) to receive both the knurled adjusting screw 72 and cable 58. Although in FIG. 2 spring 50 is shown extending through slot 68, in general it will not do so but will remain above channel 22. Ramp 62 may desirably be so shaped as to provide a smooth abutment for cable 58 regardless of the angle at which cable meets ramp 62, and is capable of being shaped to alter the distance between the line of action of cable 58 and a parallel line through fulcrum 28, if desired. However, in general this distance is adjusted by moving slide 60 by loosening knurled screw 72, moving slide 60 and retightening knurled screw 72 into backup block or nut 74 (FIG. 5). It will be noted that spring 50 and cable 58 act through a line at a substantial distance from fulcrum 28 at all times when the door is open more than a small amount, but as the sash nears its closed position the line of action of cable 58 rapidly approaches a line parallel to arm 20. The line of action can never reach fulcrum 28 because one end of spring 50 is held by bracket 48 above arm while the other end is secured by cable 58 to ramp 62 abutment 60 which is below arm 20. The mechanical disadvantage increases as the door approaches closed position. At the same time roller 30 follows an arc which become nearly tangent to channel as the door closes. Mechanical advantage increases as the door closes. The result is firm but gentle closing of the sash.

This geometry also has the result that moving abutment 60 toward pivot 28 reduces the angle through which spring and cable 58 act on arm 20. Thus, although the preload tension of spring 50 is increased by adjustment of abutment 60 toward pivot 28, the actual closing force during the final movement of arm 20 upward is smaller. it should be emphasized that during that final movement of arm 20, roller 30 is moving substantially at a tangent to channel 40 which is secured to the edge of sash 10. The net effect is that sash 10 will be closed gently even if spring 50 is under considerable tension. Of course spring 50 must be under enough tension to hold arm 20 in its upper-most position, in which roller 30 is only a few inches from frame 14 when the door is closed, doing so under a considerable mechanical disadvantage. Of course, when it is desired to actually lock the door hook 36 is swung down to restrain axle 34 so that arm 20 is incapable of moving downward.

Channel 40 also contains a spring loaded stop (shown in FIGS. 3 and 4) which brings the sash gently to a stop if it has been opened too rapidly. In addition it provides a bias toward closing movement of the sash which returns the sash from a position in which arm 20 is too close to vertical. Stop 80 consists of a block 82 which is free to slide in channel 40 and is guided and retained in channel 40 by grooves complementary to ridge 46. A cover plate 86 is secured to block 82. A fixed block 88 is adjustably secured to channel 40 by a spring loaded plunger 90 which enters only one of a series of holes 92 in bottom web 42 of guide channel 40. A rod or tube 94 is secured in block 82 and is slidably received in block 88 to guide spring 96. Cover plate 86 is slotted at 98 to permit the cover plate to slide downwardly with respect to spring loaded plunger 90. Thus when roller 30 strikes block 82 in its downward path in guide channel 40, spring 96 is compressed between moving block 82 and adjustably fixed block 88 but is restrained from sidewise movement by tube 94. The strength of spring 96 and the position of spring loaded plunger 90 in the holes 92 is desirably such as to provide a force which will bring sash 10 to a stop and return it in a closing direction until the end of slot 98 engages plunger 90. This prevents arm 20 from remaining in a position which is too vertical for effective action by spring 50. On manual initiation of a closing movement the spring 50 assists in, and maintains, the movement. Spring 50 loses leverage as its line of action approaches pivot 28, and roller 30 becomes more effective but slower as the arc of roller 30 approaches tangency with the longitudinal dimension of channel 40. The angle of the spring and cable never becomes unduly small because of abutment 60, but the mechanism is nevertheless compact and inconspicuous at the top of the sash. Thus the door is closed gently.

It will also be observed that the same action is obtained if pivot 28 and bracket 26 are secured to sash 12 rather than to frame 14. The only difference is that in that arrangement sash 12 may be opened and closed under the control of my door closer as readily as sash 10. The configuration could also be used to control a single sash 12 were that portion of FIG. 1 shown as sash 10 instead part of frame 14. Thus a variety of configurations are possible to meet various practical situations.

What is claimed is:

l. [n a device for moving a sash which is slidable substantially in the plane of said sash and parallel to a sash guide between two extremes of movement defined by the ends of the sash guide; a plurality of relatively movable parts movable in closely spaced parallel planes and including at least one sash and a sash guide having two ends and extending substantially parallel to the sash, means for biasing a said sash toward one of two extreme positions of said sliding part with reference to another said part, said means comprising a roller, an arm having two ends and an axis extending between them, said arm carrying said roller at one said end, said arm having a pivot on its other end, said pivot being mounted on one of said sash and said sash guide, said pivot being oriented respecting the part on which it is mounted so that said arm is movable in a plane including the edge of another of said plurality of relatively movable parts whereby swinging of said arm causes movement of said roller along said edge,

the improvement comprising: biasing means including an anchor fixed substantially above said roller on the part on which the pivot is mounted, said arm being provided with an abutment extending away from the said axis and from said anchor in the plane in which said arm pivots, said abutment being adjustably fixed to said arm for adjustment along said axis, said biasing means including resilient tension means secured to said anchor and linear connecting means connected at one end to the resilient tension means crossing the axis of said arm and secured over said abutment to apply bias to said arm at a point spaced from said axis in a direction away from said abutment to bias said arm to move said roller along said edge toward said biasing means, said biasing means being strong enough to maintain movement of said sliding part to its extreme position after said movement is initiated.

2, The device of claim 1 further comprising a channel on said edge of said another of said plurality of parts in which said roller is guided, and a hook pivoted to said channel and having a first position in which said roller and said arm are free to move and a second position engaging and restraining said roller and said arm.

3. The device of claim 2 further comprising a biased roller stop abutment slidable in said channel and biased therein toward said roller strongly enough to stop said sliding part and reverse its motion when said roller strikes said abutment.

4. The device of claim 2 in which said channel has said anchor for said biasing means fixed in an end of the channel adjacent the end of said edge, said arm being extensible, said arm having the end carrying said roller at an angle to the axis of said arm, the angle being such as to locate the roller farther from said anchor than would be the case if said arm were straight, to increase the movement of the major part of said arm toward said biasing means before said sliding part reaches its extreme position.

5. The device of claim 4 in which said resilient tension means comprises a tension spring attached at one end to said anchor and said linear connecting means comprises a cable attached to the other end of said spring, said cable being secured to said abutment.

6. The device of claim 1 in which said sliding part comprises a sash having a vertical edge, a channel on said edge in which said roller is guided downwardly as said sash opens, and an abutment yieldably mounted in said channel to limit downward movement of said roller.

7. The device of claim 1 in which said sliding part and said another part to which said arm is pivoted each comprise a sash.

8. The device of claim 1 in which said another part to which said arm is pivoted comprises a fixed frame comprising said sash guide.

9. The device of claim 1 in which said part having an edge along which said roller is movable is a sash. 

1. In a device for moving a sash which is slidable substantially in the plane of said sash and parallel to a sash guide between two extremes of movement defined by the ends of the sash guide; a plurality of relatively movable parts movable in closely spaced parallel planes and including at least one sash and a sash guide having two ends and extending substantially parallel to the sash, means for biasing a said sash toward one of two extreme positions of said sliding part with reference to another said part, said means comprising a roller, an arm having two ends and an axis extending between them, said arm carrying said roller at one said end, said arm having a pivot on its other end, said pivot being mounted on one of said sash and said sash guide, said pivot being oriented respecting the part on which it is mounted so that said arm is movable in a plane including the edge of another of said plurality of relatively movable parts whereby swinging of said arm causes movement of said roller along said edge, the improvement comprising: biasing means including an anchor fixed substantially above said roller on the part on which the pivot is mounted, said arm being provided with an abutment extending away from the said axis and from said anchor in the plane in which said arm pivots, said abutment being adjustably fixed to said arm for adjustment along said axis, said biasing means including resilient tension means secured to said anchor and linear connecting means connected at one end to the resilient tension means crossing the axis of said arm and secured over said abutment to apply bias to said arm at a point spaced from said axis in a direction away from said abutment to bias said arm to move said roller along said edge toward said biasing means, said biasing means being strong enough to maintain movement of said sliding part to its extreme position after said movement is initiated.
 2. The device of claim 1 further comprising a channel on said edge of said another of said plurality of parts in which said roller is guided, and a hook pivoted to said channel and having a first position in which said roller and said arm are free to move and a second position engaging and restraining said roller and said arm.
 3. The device of claim 2 further comprising a biased roller stop abutment slidable in said channel and biased therein toward said roller strongly enough to stop said sliding part and reverse its motion when said roller strikes said abutment.
 4. The device of claim 2 in which said channel has said anchor for said biasing means fixed in an end of the channel adjacent the end of said edge, said arm being extensible, said arm having the end carrying said roller at an angle to the axis of said arm, the angle being such as to locate the roller farther from said anchor than would be the case if said arm were straight, to increase the movement of the major part of said arm toward said biasing means before said sliding part reaches its extreme position.
 5. The device of claim 4 in which said resilient tension means comprises a tension spring attached at one end to said anchor and said linear connecting means comprises a cable attached to the other end of said spring, said cable being secured to said abutment.
 6. The device of claim 1 in which said sliding part comprises a sash having a vertical edge, a chaNnel on said edge in which said roller is guided downwardly as said sash opens, and an abutment yieldably mounted in said channel to limit downward movement of said roller.
 7. The device of claim 1 in which said sliding part and said another part to which said arm is pivoted each comprise a sash.
 8. The device of claim 1 in which said another part to which said arm is pivoted comprises a fixed frame comprising said sash guide.
 9. The device of claim 1 in which said part having an edge along which said roller is movable is a sash. 